Feathering-wheel



A.-L. PAULSEN AND J. G. PORTER.

FEATHERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION HLED 050.23. 1919.

Patented Dec. 28,1920.

A TTOHA/EVS 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AfL. PAULSEN AND J. G. PORTER.

FEATHERING WHEEL.

APPucATloN FILED 050.23. 1919.

ll., Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTUH/l/EYS A. L. PAULSEN AND J. G.`PORTEH.

FEATHERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION F1150 051:.23, 1919.

l, l m8111611 11%. 28,19211.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f ALBERT I.. PAULSEN aim' Jorrit` GERALD Poema, or wnnvnavimn, omiroiama.

PATENT ortica.

FEATHEBING-WHEEL To all whom t may concem:

Be it known that we, ALBERT L. PAULsEN and JOHN G. PORTER, citizens of the United States, and residents of lZVeaverville,l in the county of Trinity and State-of California, have invented certain new and useful I mprovements in Feathering-Vheels, of which the following is a specification.

@ur invention is an improvement in feathy ering wheels, vand has for its object to provide a wheel of the character specified especially adapted for flying machines, by means of which the machine may be made to ascend or descend in a nearly vertical manner and to hover over a comparatively small area or to move forward in the manner of an aeroplanes flight.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a flying machine provided with the improved wheel;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

F ig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the wheels;

F ig. 4 is a detail view showing a modified form of connection between the blades and the operating links.

T he present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with a flying machine consisting of a nacelle 1 in which is arranged a motor 2 having a shaft 3, to which is secured., a pair of wheels Ll, and these wheels are connected by' flexible belts 5,

' cables in the present instance, with wheels 6 arranged on hollow shafts or posts .7. As shown, each of these hollow shafts 7 is. supported at its lower end by a ball bearing .8 in a bracket 9 connected with the framework 10 of the machine.

rl'his framework, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is a skeleton frame of cubical form, and the shafts 7 are journaled at their upper ends n the frame also, ballbearings 11 being interposed between the frame and the shaft.

ln the present embodiment of theJ invention two feathering wheels are provided for supporting the machine, the said wheels being arranged on parallel axes. t The shafts 7 to which the wheels are secured are arranged on opposite sides of thenacelle, in such manner that the planes of the wheels incline 'slightly downward from front to hub 12 secured to the shaft, and a rim 13,

Specification of Letters Patent.

application mea :December 2a, 191e. semi No. 346,931.

which is connected to the hub b s okes 14. 4Blades 15 are hinged to the sphkeg, the blades having bearings 16 which engage the spokes, and. it will be noticed, referring to Fig. 2, that the shafts or spokes 14 are nearer one edge of the blades than the other and have their axes parallel with the said edges instead of radial to the blades.

A collar 17 is mounted. to slide on each shaft 7, and each collar is connected by links 18 with the blades' ofthe adjacent wheel in such manner that when the collar is moved downward toward the nacelle the blades will 'have their pitch increased, while when the collar is moved upward the pitch of the blades will be decreased until they eventually lap upon each other, forming an i'mperforate wing.

Each collar is moved by means of a rod 19 which is arranged within the hollow shaft 7, and is connected at its upper end to the collar through slots 20 extending longitudinally of the shaft 7. rlhe lower end of the rod has a ball 21 which is engaged within a socket 22 on one of the arms of a rock shaft 23, which is journaled in a bear-l .ment 26 to hold the lever in adjusted position.

lt will be noticed that the rim 13 of the featheringwheel is of considerable width, extending both above and below the blades when the' blades are closed, the greatest depth, however, being below the plane of the blades. The cutting edges of the blades are hinged nearthe spokes, and the feathering of the blades is accomplished from the lower side. When the blades are entirely closed these depending rims present large disks with shallow depressions in their lower faces, the full size of the circle of the wheel, and when closed the wheels act as planes.

The planing or soaring eect of the wheel depends upon the depending rim. It will be understood that the wheels may be arranged in series, two, four or more, as may be desired, and the wheels of each pair rotate `in opposite directions. Even when the wheels are not rotating they act as supporting planes for the machine.

It will be understood that, if desired, a tractor propeller may be provided for assisting in the forward motion, or any other form of'propeller may be used, if it is found prising a\ rod moving axially of the shaft advisable, in connectionwith the propeller and connectedto the sleeve.

shown. In Fig. 4 there is shown a modified In a flying machlne, theV combination form of connection between the link 18 and with the nacelle, of a pair of wheels arthe blades. In this arrangement 'each blade ranged above the nacelle and at opposite has a socket which is engaged by a ball sides thereof, the planes of the wheels in- 31 on the link. clning forwardly and downwardly, means We claim: for simultaneously rotating the wheels in 1. In a rflying machine, the combination opposite directions, each wheel comprising with the nacelle, of a pair of wheels ar` a hub, a rim, and spokes connecting the hub Y ranged above the nacelle and at opposite# and the rim, blades hinged to the spokes, sides thereof, theplanes of the wheels inmeans for simultaneously moving the blades clining forwardly and downwardly, t

means to vary theA pitch thereof, a sha on which for simultaneously rotating the wheels in the hub is mounted, a sleeve mounted to opposite directions, each wheel comprising move on the shaft, connections between the a hub, a rim, and spokes connecting the hub sleeve and the blades, and means for moving to the rim, blades hinged to the spokes, the sleeve, means for simultaneously moving the blades lever connected with the sleeve, and having to vary the pitch thereof, a shaft on which latch mechanism for holding it in an adthe hub .is mounted, a sleeve mounted to justed position.

move on the shaft, connections between the ALBERT L. PAULSEN. sleeve and b1ades,'the moving means com- JOHN GERALD PORTER.

the moving means comprising a 

